Scope and Contents of the Materials

This collection is broken up into two categories. The first contains newspapers, quarterlies, historical documents, and photographs from the African American Freemason groups the Dawn of Light Lodge #79, the women's lodge Heroines of Jericho, The Order of the Eastern Star, and the fraternal insurance organization the American Woodmen of the World, which are all located in Lufkin, Texas. These range from the early 1870’s to the late 1980’s.

The second contains historical documents, photographs, articles, and magazines from Reverend Bettie Kennedy, for whom the collection was named after. These range from the early 1840’s to present day.

Collection Historical Note

The Texas Prince Hall Masons chartered the Dawn of Light Lodge #79 in 1893 located in Lufkin Texas where Rev. Bettie Kennedy’s father, William Engram, was a founding father. The lodge was the first African American Freemason lodge in Lufkin. Rev. Bettie Kennedy’s former husband, Oscar Kennedy, also became executive secretary of the lodge. A number of chapters have grown and dissolved over time in the Meeting House lodge. Those chapters under the Dawn of Light No. 79 included the American Woodmen No. 71, the Order of the Eastern Star Annie Jones Chapter No. 114, Heroines of Jericho White Swan Court No. 48.

The collection also holds historical documents, articles, and certificates detailing the life of Rev. Bettie Kennedy. The photographa are of her family primarily from high school and college. The articles detail a number of the projects that Bettie Kennedy was a part of, including the Meeting Hall Restoration Project and Black History Projects.